U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Announces Election Integrity Plan for November 2026 General Election

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois, in coordination with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, today announced its plan to safeguard federal voting protections and receive complaints related to the voting process regarding the upcoming General Election on Nov. 3, 2o26.

The initiative is part of a nationwide effort to ensure a secure, transparent, and accessible voting process. The U.S. Attorney's Office, alongside federal law enforcement partners, is prepared to enforce federal election laws while protecting the right of voters to cast their ballot without intimidation or interference. Federal laws protect against such crimes as impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. Violations of federal election laws could result in prison time and monetary fines.

The public plays a critical role in maintaining election security. Anyone who witnesses or has direct knowledge of potential election fraud, voter intimidation, or unlawful voting activity in the Northern District of Illinois is encouraged to report it to the U.S. Attorney's Office by calling (312) 469-6157. Assistant U.S. Attorneys and other staff will monitor the hotline and take appropriate action.

Complaints can also be made to the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by calling (855) 856-1247 or logging on to https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.

"Voters must be able to cast their ballots without interference or intimidation, and to have their vote counted in a free, fair, and honest election," said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. "The Chicago U.S. Attorney's Office will work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process and ensure that the November General Election is unmarred by fraud, error, or suspicion."

To learn more about the Department of Justice's efforts to safeguard our nation's elections, the public is encouraged to log on to the Department's special website for election integrity at https://civilrights.justice.gov/electionintegrity.

For information about the location and hours of polling sites, Illinois residents are advised to contact the Illinois State Board of Elections by logging on to www.elections.il.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. or by calling (312) 814-6440.